Haseeb Hameed out of India tour due to finger injury

Opener Haseeb Hameed out of the tour due to finger injury

England opener Haseeb Hameed will miss the next two matches of the five-match series in India due to a finger injury. The remaining two Tests will be played in Mumbai and Chennai respectively.

The 19-year-old was struck on the left hand by Indian pace bowler Umesh Yadav on the first morning of the third Test, which England lost by eight wickets.

He didn’t take the field when Indian team was batting. He also failed to open the innings, however, he came to bat as at No. 8 and played an impressive unbeaten 59 runs innings which defied the Indian bowler for a while and gave India 104 runs target to chase.

England are yet to announce the replacement of Hameed, the next Test will start on December 8.

Hameed made his debut in Rajkot and scored an impressive 82 in the second innings of the first Test which has shown his superlative technique and tough character.

The Indian-origin player has had an outstanding record in county cricket with Lancashire. Given the record runs in one season he was awarded a debut match where he excelled.

In his absence of Hameed Captain Alastair Cook and Joe Root opened in the second innings. The duo is not new in the opening as they had opened the innings throughout the 2013 Ashes series. Ben Duckett is also in the squad, who used to open for his county team Nottingham, so he may get the call to play the third Test in Mumbai. But he is not in good touch as he scored five runs in Visakhapatnam Test as a result he was dropped from the third Test.

All-rounder Moeen Ali is also a good option. He has scored a hundred in the first Test and has been in good touch.

However, England are now in plagued with injuries because they had to rest Stuart Broad from the third Test as the seamer suffered a thigh hamstring in the second Test. Besides injuries England think-tank is yet to find a solution to defy the Indian spinners. The fourth Test will be played at Wankhede Stadium where spinners will get more assistance.